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User blog:JohnnyOTGS/JohnnyTalk America~How do survive if you're in the Old West?
Hello everybody and welcome to another edition of JohnnyTalk America. Today's topic is how to survive if you're in the Old West. The Old West pertains to almost anywhere that was west of the Mississippi River, in particular, the Great Plains, the Rocky Mountains and the Deserts of the Southwest USA and people began moving out there from the 1850's for numerous reason, either searching for new land, looking to get rich by finding either Gold in California or Silver in Nevada, looking to escape "the law" or other things like that. So, imagine yourself in the western territories or states in the mid 19th century, how would you survive? Well, there are many things to think about. Weapons Now, we all know that those "High Noon Quick Draw Gun Fights" were rare in the "real" Old West. Nevertheless, the Old West was very dangerous, and if you don't have the proper weapons, you could be as good as dead. Gun companies such as Colt, Winchester, Smith & Wesson, and others made a lot of "now famous" Weapons such as the .45 and a lot of Breach Loading Rifles so people can protect themselves from robbers or other troublemakers in these Old West Towns. But even by this time, there were towns such as Tombstone, Deadwood ''and Dodge City'' that issued restrictions of carrying and using weapons. Though this wasn't always enforced however and these rules were bent. Weapons in the Old West weren't just used for criminal activities or self-defense. People also used weapons to hunt (especially in the northern regions) for either food or sport. Wildlife In the Southern Regions In the Southern Regions of the Old West (mainly in the desert) you may encounter some dangerous creatures such as Rattlesnakes, Spiders or even Scorpions which can be deadly due to their bite or sting, and because Anti-Venom wasn't available during this era, you'll be good as dead. It would be best that if you not only have a weapon to kill them but also some good leather boots to protect you from their bites or stings. Though, these creatures will only bite or sting you if they feel threatened. In the Northern Regions In the Forests and Mountains of the North, you will encounter some more aggressive creatures such as Mountain Lions, Wolves and even Bears. Unlike the dangerous creatures you'll face in the south, these creatures will attack you even if they don't feel threatened. Wolves and Mountain Lions hunt in packs and can eat humans as their next meal. Bears, on the other hand, will just rip you to shreds as they're very territorial. It's wise to have a powerful rifle on you. Wars In the late 1840's the Old West was dangerous largely due to the Mexican-American War as the USA was fighting Mexico for control over the Southwest (this is why we got states such as New Mexico, Arizona, and California). However, if you were out west during the Civil War, you would also feel the effects. Towns such as Bannack (in Montana) had a lot of people from the eastern states (mostly from the South, which prompted the North to have people that supported the North to move out west to slow down the South's desire for Gold). Plus, some parts of the New Mexico Territory was also controlled by the South. Land Disputes Back in the Old West, there was something called "Range Wars" where anybody out west such as Farmers, Miners and Livestock Holders who would often dispute over the land they owned and other resources such as water. These Range Wars would become very nasty and sometimes even deadly. A Range War was called the Pleasant Valley Range War which took place in Arizona and it was between the Graham ''Family (who owned Cattle) and the Trewsbury Family (who raised Sheep). Range Wars still happened even long after the end of the Old West era, it wasn't until the ''Taylor Grazing Act ''which became law in 1937 which put an end to Range Wars. Native Americans As we all know that the Native Americans (Indians) have inhabited the North American continent long before the Europeans colonized it. In the coming years of European colonization, the Native Americans had a rocky relationship with the Europeans, and as the USA declared independence and won over the British, the relations with white and Native Americans soured. It wasn't until the ''Indian Removal Act in 1830 which the Native Americans were forced to move out west, however, this didn't end the already bad relationship between the white and Native Americans. Even out west, there were actual battles between the White and Native Americans. There were actual wars between the 2 factions such as The Battle of Little Bighorn in 1876 and the biggest white/Native American battle in 1890: Wounded Knee. Climate/Weather There were all kinds of weather in the Old West, this is depending on which part of the region you lived in. In the Northern Regions There are parts of the Northern regions such as the Dakotas, Montana, and Wyoming where in the winter the temperature can go well below 0° Fahrenheit (especially in the Dakotas where the temperature rarely gets above freezing or 32° Fahrenheit in the winter). The region can also get some very nasty snowstorms where it can snow in feet and the wind can be very strong and make it feel even colder. So imagine if you were in the backcountry trying to hunt for deer or other animals for food, a huge snowstorm hits, the temperatures are below freezing, the wind is blowing well over 35 MPH (with gusts up to 50 MPH in some places)and the snow is coming down at a rate of several inches per hour, your horse dies from hypothermia and you're now stranded. What you do is you try to set up a shelter to weather the storm. You use your hatchet and chop down some medium-sized trees to make walls and use some cloth to protect yourself from the high-velocity winds and build a fire to keep warm. You also would want to wear is some long johns (long underwear which covers the entire body) an oilskin coat and a thick knitted hat. Eating snow would also help so you can stay hydrated, but go easy on the snow because you also want to stay warm and snow can easily make you lose precious body heat. In the Southern Regions The Southern Regions of the Old West are the opposite side of the weather coin. The Temperatures can get very hot especially in the Summer where it can get well above 100° Fahrenheit in the desert (in the Texas Great Plains, the temperature rarely gets below 80° Fahrenheit in the Summer). The weather will depend on where you live, in the Great Plains (especially in the Spring) can get some dangerous Tornadoes which can pick up large debris and swing it many yards. In the desert, it can occasionally get a huge Sandstorm which can not only reduce visibility but also fill a human's lungs with deadly dust and soil So imagine if you were in the Great Plains in the Spring and there's a tornado heading your way. Your first course of action is to get underground. Now that is easy in the modern era, back in the 19th century, there were no easy access shelters, but there were basements in some homes back then, but not everybody had them in the 19th century. If out in the open, you find a ditch and lay flat. What about the desert? Well, first thing's first, make sure you have a good supply of water. Unlike today, water wasn't easily available, you had to make sure you find a nearby source of water, and unlike in the Sahara, you're not going to find many Oases in the US Southwest. How about them sandstorms? Well, Sandstorms are very rare in the US Southwest, but if you see one coming (as they're very visible especially during the day) it's like those Snowstorms in the North, find shelter. If you can't find shelter, use a piece of cloth and (if you have some extra) soak it with water so your lungs didn't fill up with deadly dust and desert soil and try to make up a shelter to protect yourself from the blowing sand until the storm passes. Saloons Saloons were the Old West bars and Casinos. There was a lot of drinking and even gambling. Often, a fight would also break out in a Saloons but these would rarely escalate into a gunfight. Beer in those days was relatively cheap and it helped a Cowboy's need to let off some steam after traveling for weeks or even months. Cowboys back in those days would drink over a pint of beer every week, do the math on this they can drink over 7 Gallons of Beer every year. There was one Saloon Patron named Sam "Samuel Rattlesnakes" Johnson that discovered the hard way that Saloons can be deadly too as he refused to pay the 25₵ for his drinks (around $15 in today's money) and the Bartender shot and killed him for his refusal. Legal System Eventhough federal law had little to no influence out in the west in the 19th century. But there were local laws in place, and if you find yourself on the wrong side you could be in for a public hanging (and without a trial) for your crimes. Disease/Injuries Diseases such as Typhoid, Diptheria, Tuberculosis, ''and ''Cholera were common in the Old West. Unlike today, there was little in the way of medicine, and antibiotics didn't exist as were hospitals. As a result, people who got sick rarely would survive. But there were doctors back then, but not all of them were legit. Some old west "doctors" were Con Artists who posed as Doctors, and they were counter-productive to their patients. It was best to make sure that you stay away from those who are sick (especially those who cough a lot) and boil your water to make sure it's safe to drink. The fortunate ones were the ones who were self-sufficient and took care of their ailments and injuries such as bandaging up their wounds. Welfare System Now, unlike today there was no such thing as a "Welfare System" in the Old West. So, unless you had the support of a wealthy family or a good and legitimate supportive charity group, there was nothing you can do if you lost your job, commit a crime or even become sick. Of course, most people would put their money into a financial consultant or even a bank. But as it went with the territory of the Old West, they were often robbed, and once robbed there was no way to get the money back. Some people would keep the money in their home (which was just as risky as keeping it in the bank). The safest way was to have Government bonds but it was sometimes a very long-term investment and it usually depends on how long that individual lived. Even back then, there were recessions. In 1857, there was a significant financial panic which was followed by a recession that lasted for a year. Another one would hit in 1873 where the financial sector would nearly collapse following a huge downturn in the Global Market and over-investing on America's Railroad system which led to a 6-year long recession. Traveling Alone/Horse Care Most people when they traveled out west or all over the Old West, had to make sure that they bring with them the necessary provisions such as food, water, warm clothes, and even firewood. If this person was to travel alone, he can only average around 20 Miles a day, the problem of traveling on foot is that the traveler would run out of fresh provisions within just 3 days and he would have to carry his supplies himself, he would also become exhausted with both his feet aching and have blisters from constant walking, sometimes he would have to protect himself from dangerous creatures or some Native Americans mentioned before. Most of the time, he would be using a Horse to travel. A Horse is a more efficient way to travel over rough terrain and you could buy one for either $60-$80 (or $1,500 to $2,000 in today's money). On average a horse would travel around 30 miles a day if properly fed, watered and rested. This means a Frontiersman can not only travel faster and further but can also carry more provisions that can last him for over a week which was great when traveling between towns. Life in General Life in the Old West was already difficult for Men and Women, but it was even more so for children. It wasn't uncommon for the Mother *and* the child to die at Childbirth, and even if the baby survives, there was a rampant disease, malnutrition and even neglect which can cause the child to not live long. But the silver linings is that if the child survives to the age of 10, he or she can live a good life up to around the early or late 50's, and when they do, they can become good farmers, livestock holders or even prospects that can be a part of Gold rushes that made up parts of the west until the early 20th century. Want to know more about the Old West and to see if it was truly wild? You can read about this part about The History of the United States of America. This is going to do it for this edition of JohnnyTalk America. Don't forget to check out my Games and Movies wikis as well. Until Next time, this is JohnnyOTGS signing out. Category:Blog posts